Wednesday, August 9, 2017

(Rome) The Vatican is preparing a possible journey by Pope Francis to Russia. The Corriere della Sera of today quotes Cardinal Secretary Pietro Parolin with the words:

"A trip to Russia to strengthen the bridges between East and West."

The Cardinal Secretary will visit Moscow in August. The main theme of the talks he is going to present there will cover an official visit of the Pope in Russia. Francis would be the first pope in the history of the Church to set foot on Russian soil, Cardinal Parolin told Corriere della Sera .

"The preparation of a possible visit by the Holy Father Francis in Russia is a reason for my visit," said the Cardinal.

Last March, Pope Francis was asked by Die Welt about his travel projects, replied, he could not visit Russia, but only to Ukraine.

The Cardinal Secretary was not consulted on this statement. He will meet Moscow State President Vladimir Putin and high representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, including Patriarch Cyril I of Moscow.

Parolin said:

"In this historical moment, where we experience an increase in tensions and conflict in different parts of the world, peace is the highest priority for Pope Francis, but also for me personally."

The Holy See has a "special interest" in Eastern Europe, because of its rich cultural and religious traditions, but also because it is a key to greater stability of the continent and greater unity, including East-West relations. "

Friday, May 6, 2016

(Rome) In presenting the renewed women's supplement of Ossservatore Romano "Donne Chiesa Mondo" (Women Church World) all speakers appealed to Pope Francis, including Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.

"The decisive factor was Pope Francis' statement, to increase the proportion of women in the newsroom," said Giovanni Maria Vian, editor of the "daily newspaper of the Pope".

"If we are ready now, then that's all to the merit of Pope Francis. He said: 'This is the hour of the laity', and women are all laity," said the feminist Luisa Muraro, author in the current issue of the women's supplement of the Osservatore Romano, which she had until recently maintained, would have been impossible.

Cardinal Secretary of State Parolin referred to the relationship between church and women, with a glance to Pope Francis: "I think that more is to be expected."

Papal Electors and Secretary of State?

Pope Francis said that women should be valued in the church. Cardinal Walter Kasper could imagine women as papal electors whether as lady cardinals or not, however, he will deny his statement the next day.

Now, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin says he could also imagine a woman as a successor in his office, in the position as a state secretary at the head of the Roman Curia.

The statement was made to cardinals and Vatican diplomats at an event for the promotion for the women's supplement of the Osservatore Romano "Donne Chiesa Mondo" (women church world) last Tuesday, see the report exclusive and violent? Monotheism in the crossfire of the "Osservatore Romano").

The Cardinal Secretary of State said: "A woman could be Secretary, with regard to the role and function of the Secretary of State; of course with no connection ti the sacraments or the priesthood."

Parolin further: " In any case, I repeat, we will continue the previously chosen path, and the Lord will tell us how far we can go"

The women's supplement changes not only the appearance, but also the orientation, said coordinator Lucetta Scaraffia. The general aim was amplified to reproduce the perspective of women. The women's supplement has a circulation of nearly 20,000 copies and in different languages. "Perhaps we will soon appear also in German," said Scaraffia.

Several praised the "use" of the new Prefect of the Vatican Secretariat Communications, insisted Msgr. Dario Edoardo Viganò. He was present but did not sit on the podium, but stood silently at the back of the hall. He is said to have other plans for the entire Osservatore Romano, than the current editors.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

(Sofia) Cardinal Secretary Pietro Parolin is currently on a visit to Bulgaria. Yesterday morning a meeting with Patriarch Neofit of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Sofia, was followed by a meeting with the Bulgarian Prime Minister Bojko Borissov, with President Rossen Plevnielev and with the Grand Mufti of Bulgaria.

In the evening the Cardinal Secretary will give a speech for the occasion of the third anniversary of the election of Pope Francis and the 25th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Holy See. It was a step that followed immediately after the overthrow of the Communist dictatorship.

Patriarch Neofit thanked Cardinal Parolin for the "hearty reception" of Orthodox representatives in the Vatican. During the talks, the good relations between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Holy See were stressed. Every year, a Bulgarian-Orthodox delegation comes to the Vatican for the Feast of Saint Cyril and Methodius.

Cardinal Parolin spoke of the possibility to build upon the frequency of the mutual contacts, the relations and collaboration between Bulgarian Catholic and the Orthodox. Describing concrete situations, he identified the work with youth and care for the poor.

The meeting between Pope Francis and the Moscow Patriarch Kyrill as well as the Pan Orthodox Council, which is planned for June on Crete. Cardinal Parolin assured Patriarch Neofit, he would pray for the success of the Council.

He also spoke gratefully for the opportunity of young seminarians and theologians of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to be able to study at the Pontifical Oriental Institute and other Catholic study centers.

President Plevneliev awarded the Cardinal Secretary the Stara Plana, the highest order of the land. Plevneliev asserted that Bulgaria shares Pope Francis' concern for those suffering in the conflict in Syria and in the Ukraine.

About 85 percent of the Bulgarian population are Orthodox Christians, which includes almost all Bulgarians. About nine percent belong to Turkish ethnicity, four percent are Roma. The majority of the Turks and the Roma are Muslims.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

(Rome) at the Pontifical Gregorian University a star-studded conference on priestly celibacy was held in the past week. Celibacy was talked about from the 4th-6th February as a constitutive element of the priesthood and defend to this. The planning for the conference began in the last period of the pontificate of Benedict XVI. It was carried out now at a time, since there is grumbling around Pope Francis and a number of his collaborators, claiming he was thinking abandoning priestly celibacy, which only the Latin Church had realized and preserved in the two thousand year history of Christianity. Therefore, the opening address by Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and the closing speech by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin were awaited with particular anticipation.

Both defended their remarks on priestly celibacy energetically and brought a wealth of theological arguments. Priestly celibacy has remained in practice, despite the challenges and many difficulties.

"The tradition of priestly celibacy goes back to the Apostles and follows the example of Jesus Christ"

Cardinal Ouellet founded his remarks in the New Testament and the example of Jesus Christ, from which priestly celibacy is deduced. He confirmed, however, that the issue is conceived as "controversial" after 2000 years.

"The Church tradition of celibacy and abstinence of the cleric did not arise just at the beginning of the 4th century as something new, but rather, was - both in the East and the West - the confirmation of a tradition that goes back to the apostles. As the Council of Elvira in Spain 306 confirmed that the priests have the duty to live in perfect continence, it is important to understand that this need in the early years of the Church was for both celibacy and the ban against marriage as well as also the perfect abstinence for those who were already married."

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

The remarks made by Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin were expected with more expectation. When the then Nuncio was appointed by Pope Francis at the head of the Roman Curia in September 2013, he stressed in an interview the striking fact that priestly celibacy was "no dogma" and could therefore be "discussed". As the institutionally highest ranking appointee of Pope Francis and personally selected as well, his statements have special weight.

Cardinal Secretary of State Parolin: "You can talk about it, but without haste and constructively"

The Cardinal Secretary of State it was then, that where in the conference the door was closed, he yet opened the door relatively the widest towards possible exceptions. The door to exceptions had already been opened in the Second Vatican Council. The most visible manifestation of this are since then in the Latin Church, permanent deacons who may be married at the time of the diaconate. These so-called "viri probati" are considered by some since then as a "precursor" the abolition of celibacy following the example of the Greek Church.

Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin

The Eastern churches have not kept celibacy and allowed wide exemptions. The bishops and monks are celibate, while the diocesan clergy is married. This has the consequence that all bishops come from the monastic life. Whoever is married at the time of consecration, he can remain as a secular priest. After the consecration, marriage or remarriage is excluded also in the Eastern Church. An inner-Church ascent for lowly married secular clergy is not possible.

Cardinal Parolin said:

Celibacy is a vocation, which is seen in the Latin Church as particularly appropriate for those who are called to the priestly office. The celibate spirituality of the presbyter is a "positive" constructive intent, aiming that the people of God has always defended from the danger of corruption and bourgeoisification of the radical free shepherd.

And further:

To acknowledge the level, which this intent brings with it, but it does not exclusively, as the Second Vatican Council in Presbyterorum ordinis said, by declaring that it was not " demanded by the nature of the priesthood itself (is), as the practice of the earliest Church and the tradition of the Eastern Churches show where there are also married priests of the highest merit, along with those who choose the celibate life out of the grace-like appeal together with all the bishops."

And as well:

The Catholic Church has never forced upon the Eastern Churches the celibate decision. On the other hand, it has allowed exceptions in the course of history as in the case of married Lutheran, Calvinist or Anglican pastors who - received into the Catholic Church - received a dispensation to receive the Sacrament of Orders. This happened already during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII. in 1951

Recently, 2009, the motu proprio Anglicanorum coetibus of Benedict XVI. allowed the establishment of territorial dioceses of the Latin Church allowed where Catholic priests were consecrated to hold office who were former Anglican pastors.

In the wake of the massive emigration of Catholics from the Middle East, Pope Francis allowed in 2014 with the papal decree, Praecepta de clero uxorato orientali, married oriental priests to act in the Christian communities of the diaspora and thus outside their historical areas, where previous bans forbid it.

In the current situation then, a kind of "sacramental emergency" is frequently emphasized by the lack of priests, particularly in some areas. This has given rise to the question of contingency from multiple sides in the question to consecrate the so-called "viri probati".

If the problem does not appear to be unimportant, it is surely not imperative to make hasty decisions and only due to emergencies. Yet it is also true that with the needs of evangelization, together with the history and the diverse traditions of the Church, the opportunity for legitimate debate leaves open the door, when they are motivated by the proclamation of the Gospel and are led in a constructive manner, while always preserving the beauty and importance of the celibate decision.

Celibacy is a gift that requires it to be accepted with joyful perseverance and maintained, so that it can bring real fruits. To live it profitably it is necessary that every priest all his life long feels as a disciple on the road, which sometimes requires the rediscovery and strengthening of his relationship with the Lord and also "healing".

Sunday, February 7, 2016

(Rome) The divorced and remarried and homosexuality are only two fronts. Behind the scenes there is struggling in the Catholic Church about much more. A meeting began at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome this afternoon, whose theme in view of the circumstances of the time has been particularly explosive: "Priestlly celibacy is a path of freedom." The Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet will be siding with the defense of priestly celibacy in the Latin Church. "But Pope Francis gave the German bishops again to understand that he wants to break with this tradition", said Vatican expert Sandro Magister.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

(Vatican) Pope Francis is preparing for the renovation of the Vatican "foreign ministry". The former "foreign minister" of the Holy See, the French Curial Archbishop Dominique Mamberti will probably be dismissed. While the overall reform of the Roman Curia is still written in the stars, Pope Francis is making more heads of Benedict XVI's Curia roll. A few days ago the Curial Cardinal Prefect Cañizares, then the secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, was hit. Another of his Prefects, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, had to vacate his seat a year ago.

In mid-September, the C8-Kardinalsrat , formed by Pope Francis as an advisory body for the reform of the Curia and the management of the world Church will meet. In the beginning of July it's been the fifth meeting of a C9-Council, since Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin then was also added to the C8-Council. A formal act of the membership of the Cardinal Secretary of State in this body, has not yet taken place, as the Vatican expert Sandro Magister mentions.

It will be at the sixth meeting of this committee. The seventh meeting follows from 9-11 December and the eighth meeting on 9-11 February 2015. The work of the Cardinal Council still seems to be in the preliminary phase. "There are no designs for a new apostolic constitution," said Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi at the end of the fifth meeting, "It takes time."

"Little Ratzinger" Promoted to Valencia

Benedict XVI. and the "Little Ratzinger" Cardinal Antonio Cañizares

The "ruling bishop of Rome" (Sandro Magister) already related soon after his election that he did not intend to wait for the reform of the Curia to make personnel decisions. It had been expected for months when on August 28th, the removal of the Spanish Cardinal Cañizares Llovera of the Roman Curia took place. Cardinal Cañizares was Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship under Benedict XVI. and became a supporter of the "reform of the liturgical reform". He had a close relationship to the Church understanding of the German Pope, which he shared with Cardinal Mauro Piacenza. Too close for Pope Francis. He "promoted" the "little Ratzinger", as the Cardinal is known for his bodily stature, who is content but not necessarily aptly, called back to his home and named him Archbishop of Valencia, after all, "one of the most vibrant Dioceses of the Iberian Peninsula," says Sandro Magister.

What responsibilities will remain the Congregation for Divine Worship?

Officially, Francis Pope had the transfer not imposed, but only responded to the wishes of the Cardinal to want to accept "the smell of the sheep". Cardinal Cañizares that, if they did, "dear Madrid would have preferred Valencia, is a different story," said Master.

A successor to Prefect Cañizares of the important Congregation of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has not yet been appointed. For Sandro Magister it appears as "unlikely" that Pope Francis will seek a "break" with Benedict XVI. in his choice of successor. Rather it would is much more to be what responsibilities the Pope leaves the Congregation, transferring them to the Episcopal Conferences, such as responsibility for the review and revision of the liturgical books.

The Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy is Also Promoted Back to Spain

Celso Morga Iruzubieta: Secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy is Coadjutor Archbishop in Spain

According to Spanish media reports, the return of another high prelate to Spain is imminent, who currently holds a leading position in the Roman Curia. It is Curial Archbishop Celso Morga Iruzubieta. The priest of Opus Dei has been since 2010 the Secretary of the Congregation for Clergy . Now he is to be Coadjutor Archbishop in the Archdiocese of Merida Badajoz in Extremadura.

This completes the repluisti Pope Francis, the "repudiation" of one of the most important offices of the Roman Curia. The Congregation for the Clergy is concerned among other things with disputes between priests and bishops, with the dispensing of the priestly duties (except the delicta graviora ), with the sale of church property over a certain value. By the will of Benedict XVI. it was give charge of the seminaries. Above all, it is also about the image of priesthood and thus the self-image of the priest. The successful prevention of the appointment of the saintly Curé of Ars Patron of Priests, which Benedict XVI. wanted to make, is still vividly remembered.

The removal of the Number Two of the Congregation follows that of the number one, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, which Pope Francis had already carried out in September 2013. Both were by Pope Benedict XVI. been appointed. Cardinal Piacenza still comes from the Genoese school of Cardinal Giuseppe Siri. On him the diplomat Beniamino Stella followed. For the seminars appointed Francis one additional Assistant Secretary, the Sino-Mexican Curia Archbishop Jorge Carlos Patron Wong. In addition, over the past year such a strong exchange of employees in this Pontifical Council was held that Roman observers speak of an unprecedented precedent.

"Foreign Minister" Mamberti Before Dismissal

The new curial organization chart of Pope Francis stands at the edge of another reshuffle. Curial Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, head of the Section for Relations with States in the Secretariat of State and thus "foreign minister" of the Holy See is to be replaced. The reasons for the action are not known. It can at best be speculated about as a change of course in the relations with the states and international bodies.

"It will be interesting to see whether the Pope in this case will follow the unwritten law that the Vatican's 'foreign minister' is awarded at the end of his service with the dignity of Cardinal," said Sandro Magister. The predecessors Mambertis were given this honor, from Giovanni Lajolo, Jean-Louis Tauran, Angelo Sodano, Achille Silvestrini, Agostino Casaroli to Antonio Samore, etc.

Vengeful Bergoglio

Jean-Louis Bruguès, archivist and Librarian of the Holy Catholic Church, but not Cardinal

Or is Pope Francis denying Mamberti the cardinal's purple, as he is - in spite of unwritten law - the Archivist and Librarian of Holy Roman Church, rejected Curial Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès? The French Dominican Bruguès had, as Secretary of the Congregation for Education (2007-2012), skirmishes with the rector of the Catholic University of Buenos Aires, and was discharged Victor Manuel Fernández. Fernández is considered a "foster son" of Jorge Mario Bergoglios, and he was - just as soon as Bergolio was elected pope - quite unusually, immediately promoted him to Archbishop, while he avenged himself on Father Bruguès for his criticism of Fernández.

Pope Francis justifies his appointments in the Diplomatic Corps of the Vatican on renewal. For this reason, it seems very likely that the successor of Mambertis will come from the ranks of diplomats. It is likely he will also be valued by Cardinal Secretary of State Parolin nuncio.

With the exception of the two French Archbishops Mamberti and Cardinal Tauran and Poland's Wlodzimierz Czacki at the end of the 19th century, all were the "foreign minister" of the Vatican in Italy. Just as both the Cardinal Secretary of State and his substitute, the Sarde (Sardinian) Curial Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, come from Italy, it seems unlikely that the third high position in the State Secretariat is to be staffed by an Italian. "Unlikely, but not impossible," said Sandro Magister.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

(Vatican) While looking at the official reactions, then one would have come to the conclusion that the Holy See considers the frontal attack by the United Nations as an industrial accident, to which it doesn't pay too much attention. In reality, the whole order of creation is at stake. All the more incomprehensible is the inadequate response of the neo-Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to the attack. Another little positive signal for the Synod of Bishops on the topic of family, which some in the Church obviously want to repurpose as a late revenge for the encyclical Humanae Vitae.

Appeal to Pope Francis: "Give Clear Response" to anti-Church Attack

The speech is from the report of the UN Children's Rights Committee 5th of last February. If it were actually "just" an industrial accident, you could sit back, as it seems all do at the Vatican. But this is not so, why not at least someone isn't sitting back. On Tuesday, Giuliano Ferrara was in the columns of the daily newspaper Il Foglio with an open letter, a Plea to Pope Francis, from whom he calls for "a stronger, clearer answer" ... "which combines the power of faith with the resources of rational culture, which is common to all, believers and non-believers." If you look at the names of those intellectuals who have signed the appeal, it quickly becomes clear that the concern of Ferrara is shared not only by many Catholics but also many secularists.[!]

"Inadequate Response" of the Holy See

Among the signatories of the new appeal to Pope Francis is also the chief editor of the Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, Riaccardo Cascioli: "I too have signed up, because I consider the official response of the Holy See as deficient: deficient in its content and worrying in its form."

Consider the first point of criticism: the substance is deficient. Even the Wall Street Journal noted that the attack against the freedom of religion by an agency of the United Nations is unprecedented, but the new Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin (whose official Cardinal survey will follow on 22 February) seems to want to play down the matter. If you read the report of the UN Children's Rights Committee , you quickly realize that the keyword pedophilia, which is also presented with fantasy figures and notes of out-dated facts, only a pretext to attack the Church on a very different, much larger field (see own report, the UN Children's Committee: How the Church Should "Change" -- Abortion, Gay Marriage, Gender Ideology ).

The committee is expecting the Catholic Church even to change their "interpretation" of Scripture and their own teaching on family, abortion, contraception and homosexuality, even their understanding of man. A presumption of an international panel without equal. An incident which can not be simply dismissed as inconsequential individual case of a somewhat extremist Commission, which one graciously overlooks and acts as if nothing had happened.

Worthy Initiative

Purpose

This is a polemical Catholic Royalist blog. It will also attempt to provide a window onto various events, situations and personalities not generally or favorably presented to the purview of the general public in the English speaking world. It also hopes to be a bridge for those who wish to cross over, unite and fight for the truth.